Polishing devices for silverware and the like



Sept.10, 1957 w. E.MATHES 2,805,529

' POLISHING DEVICES FOR-SILVERWARE AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 1, 1955 William E. Mai/res INVENTOR.

United States Patent POLISI'HN G DEVICES FOR SILVERWARE AND THE LIKE William E. Mathes, Erin, Tenn.

Application November 1, 1955, Serial No. 544,292

1 Claim. (Cl. 51-190) My invention relates to improvements in rotary polishing devices for silverware and other wares having a luster finish.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a rotary polishing device for attachment to electric mixers and drive by the beater driving means of such mixers to polish silverware on both sides thereof simultaneously with a yielding pressure so as to render the polishing device safe to use.

To the accomplishment of the above and subordinate objects presently appearing, my improved polishing device comprises a pair of rotary spindles adapted to depend from the conventional electric beater head and be oppositely rotated by the driving gears for the usual beaters of such mixers, and a pair of polishing units on the lower ends of the spindles driven side by side to receive and polish silverware therebetween on both sides, the polishing units being constructed and arranged to exert yielding pressure against the silverware for safety purposes, the spindles being drivingly connected to the polishing units by safety slip clutches for rendering the units idle in case of overload thereon, all as set forth in detail in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a view in vertical section, partly in side elevation, of my improved polishing device in the preferred embodiment thereof attached to the beater driving means;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view in horizontal section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of a polishing bonnet forming a part of each polishing unit;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in vertical section of a first modification of my invention; and

Figure 5 is a view in vertical section of a second modification of the device.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, and first to Figures 1, 2 and 3, my improved polishing device comprises, in the preferred embodiment thereof, a pair of spindles 1, 3 adapted to depend from the driving head 5, shown in broken lines, of a conventional electric beater, the spindles l, 3 being provided at upper ends thereof with conventional means for attaching the same in the usual pair of oppositely rotating driving gears 7, 9 in said head 5, the attaching means being designated by the numeral 11.

The spindles 1, 3 carry at their lower ends a pair of polishing units 13, 15 rotated by said spindles side by side in normally engaging relation. The spindles 1, 3 are formed of suitable resilient metal so that the same may give to prevent breakage thereof.

The polishing units 13, 15 are alike and each comprises an annular fiat head 17 of suitable metal, an axial cylindrical socket 19 suitably fixed in and depending from the head 17 and formed of steel, a resilient body 21 depending from and suitably fixed to the head 17 with the socket 19 embedded therein and the body 21 depending below the socket, and a bonnet 23 sleeved upwardly over the body 21 and head 17.

2,805,529 Patented Sept. 10, 1957 The body 21 is formed of resilient material such as sponge rubber, is generally cylindrical with a rounded lower end portion 25, and is of the same diameter above the end portion 25 as the head 17 and concentric to said head.

The bonnet 23 is of soft elastic material such as lambs wool, has a lower rounded end 27 to fit the lower end poriton 25 of the body 21, and is sleeved upwardly over the body 21 and head 17. Because of its elasticity, the bonnet 23 hugs the body 21 and head 17 with a snug fit. An elastic band 29 in a hem 31 in the upper end of the bonnet 23 constricts said upper end over the head 17 to prevent the bonnet 23 from working downwardly and becoming loose. The bonnet 23 is impregnated with a suitable polishing material such as powdered jewelers rouge.

Each spindle 1, 3 is drivingly connected to its driving unit 13, 15, as the case may be, by the following means. The lower end of each spindle 1, 3 comprises an enlarged, axial, cylindrical plug 33 rotatably fitting in the socket 19 of the polishing unit and provided in the plane of the head 17 with a circumferential toothed groove 35. A spring-loaded ball 37 yieldingly engages the groove 35 and teeth therein, the ball 37 being confined in an aperture 39 in the socket 19 and loaded by a spring 41 housed in a radial bore 43 in the head 17 with a set-screw 45 in said bore backing the spring 41. As will be seen, the spring-loaded ball 39 and the toothed groove 35 form a safety slip clutch connection between the plug 33 and the socket 19, which is to say the head 17, and a pullapart connection by means of which the plug 33 may be pulled out of the socket 19 for detachment of the spindle and polishing unit from each other for replacement or other purposes such as cleaning.

If desired, and as shown in the first modification according to Figure 4, the ball 47 of the safety slip clutch may be contained in a diametrical bore 49 in the plug 51 and loaded by a spring 53 in said bore backed by a setscrew 55 in the bore, and the toothed groove 57 may be provided in the socket 59.

In using and operating the invention as so far described, a piece of silverware or the like is inserted upwardly between the bodies 21 of the polishing units 13 and 15 so that under rotation of said units, the bodies will exert yielding pressure against opposite sides of a piece of silverware and the bonnets 23 will polish the same on opposite sides. If frictional resistance to rotation of the polishing units 13, 15 becomes too great, the balls 37 will ratchet over the teeth of the grooves 35 to render the polishing units 13, 15 idle and thereby prevent damage to the silverware or the like such as excessive abrasion or polishing action.

As shown in the second modification according to Figure 5, an annular abrasive member 61 may be substituted for the body 21 and bonnet 23 of the polishing units and suitably secured to the head 63 for grinding or sharpening purposes.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope or the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A device of the class described comprising a pair of spindles adapted to depend side by side from a driving head and to be rotated in opposite directions relatively by driving means in said head, enlarged cylindrical plugs on the lower ends of the spindles fixed thereto and depending concentrically therefrom and each provided with a circumferential toothed groove, a pair of abrading units 3 on said plugs comprising a pair of resilient bodies having annular flat rigid 'heads and cylindrical axial sockets fixed to and extending through said heads into said bodies and sleeved onto said plugs, and spring. pressed ballsin said'jsockets engaging the toothed groovestocl'utchthe sockets to said plugs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hansen Mar. 8, 1921 Le Roux Apr. 8, 1925 Fristoe Apr. 23, 1929 Schultz Feb. 23, 1943 Wolbaum Oct. 30, 1951 

